A quick north Queensland road trip

After three months at sea, it was time for a road trip and another Delvy adventure. It was a relief to be on terra firma for a break: it didn’t take long at all to find our land legs. Travelling in the motorhome is very easy compared to the challenges of a large sailing vessel so we were happy to take a long drive north over a short space of time for a change of scenery and to catch up with friends.

Living small: motorhome versus yacht

You might have noticed that adventures in Delvy have currently been replaced with adventures on a big red yacht.  We’ve swapped one isolating lifestyle for another; a green landscape for blue. Living in a small space on land and water has similarities, but there are plenty of differences. Knowing how to sail is one of them!

Having spent a few years roaming the vast land of Australia in our Toyota Coaster motorhome, life on the water kept beckoning, so we have found ourselves a floating home once again. This sailing vessel is a little different to our previous yacht, Lady Katherine. We are now the proud owners of a 71-foot Pacific Proa. What’s that you ask? More on that later, but in the meantime let’s compare life on the road with life on the water.

Destination versus Journey

Travelling along National Highway 1 at 110 kilometres per hour is a bit of a novelty, but seeing as this trip was about getting to the destination as quickly as possible, then speed was essential and Delvy not the vehicle to do it in.

It’s two thousand kilometres from Airlie Beach to Church Point where we had to pick up a yacht, which amounts to about 24 hours of driving time. With two drivers swapping in and out and a pre packed picnic bag, plus overnight stops in the Sunshine Coast and Lake Macquarie, the mission was accomplished in two and a half days.

This was far quicker than we have ever done the Australian east coast road before, but we had an appropriate vehicle to do it in.  In contrast, it would take Delvy a week to travel that distance.

Which would I prefer, fast tracking or taking the slow lane? 

Road trip fun - always something to look at even in the boring bits.

Isolation continues

As COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease it hasn’t really changed much for us in rural Queensland. We’ve been here 6 weeks now and are happy living on the ‘farm’, still keeping busy with odd jobs like mowing, weeding, and shack maintenance, but enjoying the tranquillity and solitude of the Lethebrook district.

Our pot of gold iso spot. 

Little boat adventure

We’ve had a few bike rides along the river near where we are staying in isolation, and witnessed enthusiastic locals’ fishing from its banks or in a tinnie. Always keen to get on the water, we set off to explore the mighty O’Connell River and its mangrove tributaries, but unlike the locals, without fishing gear.

Private boat 'ramp' on the O'Connell River

How to live simply in a motorhome

You’ve heard the saying that less is more. I believe that the less complicated life is and the less stuff you have, the more content you are. Living in a motorhome is a simple life: we have all we need, and we can go where we like, and whenever we like. Well, not at the moment but we’ll pretend all is well in the world. ☺️

How do we do this, you ask?

Taking a break in Beechmont

6 ways to stay sane while living in a motorhome

“You’re living the dream!”, we are quite often told. Well, yes, we are, but it takes a while to work things out so it doesn’t become a nightmare.

Let’s face it, living in a motorhome is not for everyone. It’s all well and good to go travelling for a set period of time: you usually have a wish list of the sights you want to see and things you want to do in the allocated period, and then return home to your respective corners at the end of it.

But, if you live in an 7 x 2 metre space fulltime, as we do in Delvy, then there are a few strategies to put in place to remain sane and to continue to enjoy the experience.

Delvy gives us the freedom to enjoy the great outdoors in comfort.

Coronavirus lockdown

We are camping on a floodplain, the Goorganga Plains wetlands, but it’s nearing the end of the wet season in the dry tropical region of the Whitsundays. Conway Range is at the northern edge and the Clarke Range to the south west, with not a hill in between. Long stalks of sugarcane ruffle in the wind, creating a Mexican wave; a random waft of burning off drifts past. A rooster crows, a tractor drones in the distance, the tin roof crackles as it’s heated by the sun.

One thing that is noticeable about living in isolation in a rural area: it’s quiet. No traffic noise, no sounds of music or other people’s voices; just nature’s tune. So very peaceful.

The advantages of getting up early, spectacular sunrises

Life off the road

Living on the road with no fixed address, what does one do when the government announces a ‘stay at home’ mandate? We can stay in Delvy – we have been for over 12 months now – but Delvy wouldn’t be welcome to keep travelling around rural and coastal towns of Australia throughout this coronavirus pandemic. And neither would we want to intrude or possibly burden small communities as we all endeavour to practice social distancing to help stop the spread.

Heading south on the Bruce Highway between Bowen and Proserpine

Mt Buller

We’ve been busy on the road – well as busy as anyone can be tripping around in our motorhome, Delvy, enjoying the great outdoors of Australia. Recently, a few people mentioned they have missed reading the Adventures of Delvy so it has motivated me to fill in some gaps since I last wrote.

Having just spent a few days at one of my favourite places in Australia, I thought I would start there. Some 6 years back I managed a lodge, SkiLib, over two summer seasons on Mt Buller in Victoria’s High Country, and have been keen to return for some time. After enduring the heat from the lowland this summer, the coolness at 1590 metres above sea level was very welcome, as was the spectacular scenery.

On the road from Mansfield. Mt Buller ahead in the distance.